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As this year’s NaNoWriMo comes to a close, the first thing all participants should do is congratulate themselves. I mean, really–it takes guts, grit and grind (both the routine and the coffee) to get a novel’s first draft complete in 30 days. But what now?Writing Tip for Today: As your novel accelerates toward its climax […]
This term, the novel writing class is not only large, it’s serious. The first week, I suggested the students start thinking of themselves not as writers-in-training, not as “someday writers,” but as real writers. The following class, many of the students reported not getting much writing done, so I challenged them to have fun with […]
Writing crap isn’t as easy as it sounds. As this term’s novel writing class winds down, we’re talking about revision, although many of the students’ are still in the beginning stages of drafting. While it’s instructional to learn good self-editing techniques, I urge these writers to remain focused on writing as much as possible–badly. When […]
A reader asks if I will review the basics of scene writing. I’m happy to do so, and not only because I love teaching writing. You see, even after years of practice and several published books, I still forget. Scenes are what makes writing come alive.Writing Tip for Today: Name that Reason. In fiction, each […]
New writers are often chided about avoiding the use of too many modifiers, cliches or passive constructions. They’re also directed to Strunk & White’s Elements of Style, warned about dangling participles and homophones. All good information, stuff every writer must learn. Yet for me, editing begins with story and structure. If these elements are weak […]
Back to school week is always exhausting as well as exciting for me. I have 3 groups of wonderful students who are eager to put their writing dreams on paper. When I start with a new class, I feel as if I get a bonus. In reviewing basic writing principles, I get a review too. […]
No matter how miserably few words you wrote last week, it’s a new week. You can meet your writing goals this week, and last week doesn’t have a word to say about it. Writer’s Guilt is a real and insidious threat–you know, those voices in your head that get out the wet noodle every time […]
Anne Lamott says she doesn’t need to be a spokesperson for any cause. And she never cancels an engagement. But she nearly got booted froma gig in Omaha, when a bunch of conservative Catholics tried to get her removed from speaking at Creighton. Her positions on assisted suicide and abortion were the reasons these folks […]